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Nicaraguan environmentalist cares for orphaned baby armadillos

July 19, 2009 | 3:30
pm

Nicaraguan environmentalist Kamilo Lara is caring for four baby armadillos orphaned when their mother was killed. A nearby zoo didn't have room to take the little armadillos in, so Lara's home in the town of Managua is the next best thing for them.

Lara works for an organization called Alerta Mundial (World Alert) and will continue caring for the armadillos until they're ready to be returned to the wild, probably in about a month or so. In the meantime, they're getting the best care a surrogate parent can give them, including regular bottle-feedings. Lara hopes to eventually found a rescue center to care for animals like armadillos and help restore their natural habitat, according to the Daily Mail.

The word "armadillo" means "little armored one," and the 20 or so varieties of armadillo constitute the only mammal species in existence that have the tough, protective plates for which they are named. More baby armadillo photos after the jump!